Ice-cream
by Yhoretta
Summary: Not everyone is accustomed to the sixth Doctor's brash personality. An alien queen decides that he could do with a little mellowing out, but did he really need it in the end? One Ben and Jerry's later, and Peri may be starting to see it, but will this new-found companionship all be over before it's begun?


_**A/N: Fluff in its purest form. I haven't written anything with sixie before this, and one must admit that he is a little harder to like than the other Doctors, so I decided to fix him up. Temporarily. Borderline 6/Peri, but it really depends on how you look at it. Reviews are like free ice-cream, everyone loves 'em! :D  
**_

* * *

"Thank you dear Doctor and dear Peri, our people are eternally in your debt," said the High Queen of the Jinnaé people. She bowed her slender, blue body in the direction of her guests. They both seemed out of place inside the palace, with their strange colours and hair, whereas the palace itself was very modest and brown like the Queen's dress, and she herself was entirely hairless.

"It was really no problem at all," replied the Doctor pretentiously. Peri shot him a look and bowed back to the Queen.

"That comet was coming towards our ship too, m'lady," she explained. "We aren't _really_ heroes."

"Yes we are," hissed the Doctor. Peri jabbed her elbow into his side, eliciting a grunt from the Time Lord. The High Queen stepped down from her tattered thrown and pulled Peri aside.

"You know," she whispered, "my people_ do_ possess a low telepathic ability. We would never use it normally, but for him I would make an exception. Do you care for me to try?"

"What are you going to do?" asked Peri in hushed tones.

"Well, for a hero such as you, I could mellow that brash personality of his; for a little while, as your reward."

Peri couldn't help but lean in closer, hoping beyond hope that this wasn't a joke of some sort. She'd started to travel with the Doctor when he was sweet and kind and gentle, now he was rude and kind and irritating. They'd been such great friends, going wherever their hearts desired. Of course, she had stayed with him after he...changed, but it had never quite felt the same. The Doctor stood, tapping his foot impatiently while the two women stood together at the opposite end of the room. Peri nodded minutely to the High Queen.

"Do it; please," she said. The Doctor suddenly stopped tapping, his eyes rolling into his head. "But don't hurt him!" The High Queen looked as though she hadn't heard, concentrating on the Time Lord's unprotected mind. Her castle may have been modest, but it had the uncanny ability to lower one's telepathic defenses. Peri started to realise that she didn't have the right to request anyone to change the Doctor. She felt guilty. She felt like she'd somehow betrayed him.

"It is done," declared the High Queen, massaging her temples. "You have 24 hours, spend them wisely. He will remember nothing afterwards." Peri tried to protest. The Doctor placed a hand on her shoulder, beaming from ear-to-ear.

"I'm in the mood for ice-cream, how about you?" he asked cheerily. Peri followed him helplessly back to the TARDIS. The Doctor walked around the console, swaying to a tune that only he could hear. He quickly swooped Peri up and began waltzing with her.

"What on Earth are you doing?" She chuckled as he dipped her.

"I don't actually know," replied the Doctor. "I suppose I'm dancing. It's a funny old vortex, isn't it?" Peri nearly lost her footing as they spun around again, having to clutch the Doctor's multi-coloured lapels for support.

"Where do you want to go? We could go anywhere in the universe!" said the Time Lord.

"I know that," teased Peri, liking this new him. "Besides, you said you were in the mood for ice-cream. Well, I want ice-cream." She poked his stomach.

"Then ice-cream you shall have!" The Doctor sent them hurtling through time and space, dodging the past, the present, and the future all at once- until they finally landed at of the three. Peri's eyes floated lazily to the scanner, then stretched wide open as she realised that they were actually outside an ice-cream shop on Earth, you know, where they sell actual_ edible_ ice-cream that doesn't insult you by saying you 'don't need the extra pounds' when you try to take a lick. Peri patted the Doctor's back happily.

"Well done Doc, this place seems suitable," she said, taking a closer look. "In fact...this place looks exactly like the one I used to go to as a kid."

"Maybe it is," replied the Doctor enigmatically. He booped her nose and took her hand as the TARDIS doors opened. They strolled out together in the sunny Earth afternoon. The Doctor never took Peri where she wanted to go, let alone _willingly_. Now, here he was, walking easily with her to the tiny superette, not complaining and moaning or going on about how another place would be 110 times better. Just...walking. Peri thought back to all those years ago when she had come to this little shop. There was a huge ice-cream section in the back, and it was still there, but now a huge sign proclaimed that it now sold Ben and Jerry's. Peri licked her lips in anticipation.

"One double-scoop 'chunky monkey' for me please," the Doctor told the lone shop worker. He turned expectantly to Peri.

"Oh, er," she thought about it for a second. "Triple-scoop chocolate therapy please." Peri expected the Doctor to make a rude remark about 'overdosing on coco', but he was silent. In fact, he upgraded his own ice-cream to a triple-scoop and winked at her.

"That'll be $35," droned the shop worker as he shuffled over to assemble their treats. The Doctor's eyes flitted nervously over to Peri. She shrugged.

"How much 'ya got Doctor?"

"₤5."

Peri pressed her forehead into her palm and began to dig around her white shorts, hoping desperately to find some money. She successfully found a crumpled up $50 bill left over from the last time she'd had to stop by her old house. The shop worker held out his hand impatiently.

* * *

The Doctor and Peri took their frozen treats to the '699th wonder of the universe', a planet made entirely of roller-coasters and amusement park rides. The best part? Everyone arrived a second out of sync with each other, so there were no lines and all the rides were automatic. Those 24 hours flew by far too fast for Peri, and it was only when she was sitting with the Doctor on another distant planet with a brand new ice-cream that she suddenly felt it. She shivered involuntarily at the thought of losing her friend to himself again. The Doctor had been reclining happily on the purple grass, but looked at her in concern as she bowed her head.

"Is it too cold for you?" the Doctor asked, pointing to the ice-cream.

"Time's almost up," said Peri blankly, glancing at her watch.

"What do you mean? We can stay here all night if we want to." The Doctor smiled. He wrapped an arm around Peri and pulled her close. She tossed the frozen treat away and snuggled into his garish jacket, watching the inky sky. An explosion of colours lit the night, fireworks from the nearby racetrack as a winning celebration. The reason they'd come.

"Five minutes," whispered Peri. The Doctor lay back down onto the grass, tugging her with him. Five minutes ticked by peacefully.

"What are you doing? Get off Peri!" exclaimed the Doctor suddenly. He roughly pushed her away. She sniffled and hastily rubbed at her eyes.

"You were about to roll on top of my present for you," continued the Doctor, pouting. Peri met his gaze in disbelief. He held out a small parcel and unwrapped it, not bothering to give it to her yet. It was a watch, the gimmicky kind that one could get at an amusement park, which is probably where the Doctor acquired it. The thing had a yellow happy face on the...face, and a second hand that wasn't moving.

"It's broken Doctor," said Peri, gingerly taking the watch from him with a small smile.

"That's because I wanted to freeze this moment," he replied. "And despite what the High Queen said to you, I will _always_ remember it."

Peri interlocked her fingers with his and gripped the watch in her other hand. They turned and watched the fireworks until the night was still…

and the ice-cream had melted.


End file.
